Microsoft makes Skype preview available for Windows Phone 8

The app is available now in the Windows Store, and there is also a demo.

Skype for WP8 runs in the background, leaving users logged in and online without sacrificing any precious battery life. WPCentral says "that trick is done through Microsoft hosting your presence in the cloud on their servers instead of you using your phone."

Full video chat is supported, thanks to hardware acceleration and WP8's ability to use dual-core processors and better GPUs. Additionally, users can chat while talking, switch to speakerphone or the earpiece if necessary, and minimize calls to open other apps.